Do you know what plants need to grow? Sure, they need soil, water, and sunshine.
Everyone knows that. But here's a secret: they also need nitrogen. Plants use nitrogen to make DNA in their cells and
the proteins that lead to healthy stems and leaves. The problem is, although the Earth's
atmosphere is made up of 78% nitrogen, the form of nitrogen found in the atmosphere cannot be used by plants.
So how do plants get their nitrogen? Either through nitrogen deposits in the soil, or through…
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Have you ever planted a garden? It is a real pleasure to see a garden where all of the plants lie in neat rows and are healthy and thriving. Plants need sunlight and nutritious soil to grow and be healthy, right? Not always! Hydroponics is the science of growing plants in nutrient-rich water. Does it work? Try this project and see for yourself!
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PlantBio_p045

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Time Required

Very Long (1+ months)

Prerequisites

None

Material Availability

A hydroponics terrarium is required and, for your convenience, can be purchased at the [# Link Name="PlantBio_p045.1" Value="HtmlAnchor" #].

Cost

Average ($50 - $100)

Safety

Use gloves and safety goggles when handling chemicals. Adult supervision is required.

Have you ever wondered why a plant that grows well in one environment may not survive in a different environment? For example, plants that grow well in a wet jungle would probably not do so well in a dry desert, lacking enough water. This is because plants have adapted to their specific environment. Some plants have even adapted to tolerate chemicals that would usually be toxic, such as various heavy metals. In this plant biology science project, you will investigate whether different…
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PlantBio_p047

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Time Required

Very Long (1+ months)

Prerequisites

None

Material Availability

The Arabidopsis thaliana seeds for this science project need to be specially ordered in advance with the help of a parent or teacher. See the Materials and Equipment list for details.

Cost

High ($100 - $150)

Safety

Take all proper safety precautions when working with the heavy metals. Wear gloves. You may need additional protection, such as goggles.

Like humans, plants can be negatively affected by overcrowding. Unlike humans, plants cannot get up and move to a new environment or explore how to utilize new resources. This experiment will explore the effects of crowding (population density) on the growth and health of plants.
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PlantBio_p011

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Time Required

Very Long (1+ months)

Prerequisites

Background research on biomes, ecosystems, population density, and the basic needs of plants.

Every day farmers around the world apply commercial fertilizer to their fruits and vegetables to improve plant health and yield. But applying commercial fertilizer is expensive and not economically possible for some farmers in developing countries. What if they could find a way to fertilize plants cheaply? It turns out that human urine is rich in the nutrients that plants need to grow. Could urine serve as a fertilizer substitute? Find out for yourself in this plant growth science project.
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PlantBio_p046

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Time Required

Very Long (1+ months)

Prerequisites

None

Material Availability

To do this project, you will need dirt without any added fertilizer. See the Materials and Equipment list for details.

Cost

Low ($20 - $50)

Safety

Use caution when handling human urine. Wear gloves when working with human urine. Adult supervision is recommended.

Do you like to watch outdated science fiction and cheesy horror movies? Many fictional tales of cloned organisms have been created based upon the scientific method for cloning animals or plants. In the real world, the cloning of plants is a common method used in modern farming. How do you clone a plant?
In this science project you will get to find out by making your own cabbage clones!
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Mowing the lawn is hard work, especially on a warm day. Not only do you have to mow the grass, but you also have to dispose of the clippings. Some people add the clippings to a compost pile in their yard, which is a great idea. But did you know that some grasses can be used as a source of energy? In this energy science fair project, you will learn more about a type of energy called biomass energy. You will grow different kinds of grasses and see which type of grass gives you the most biomass,…
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Energy_p034

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Time Required

Very Long (1+ months)

Prerequisites

None

Material Availability

Readily available

Cost

High ($100 - $150)

Safety

If making your own flower pots out of cartons, use caution when using the scissors to cut the cartons in half. Adult supervision is recommended.

Interested in helping the environment, and don't mind getting dirty? In this project you get to mix it up with earthworms, soil, and various types of organic kitchen scraps. The basic idea is to set up small earthworm colonies to compost different types of food waste. You test the soils in each type to see how diet affects both the earthworm population and the nutrients they put back into the soil. This project takes a little time, but it's worth it. You'll help the environment and learn…
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Farmers face a variety of challenges in their efforts to grow crops. One of the chief challenges is the presence of unwanted plants (weeds) that compete with the crop plants for water, nutrients, and light. If the weeds are not suppressed, they can reduce or completely eliminate the amount of food derived from the crop at harvest. In this biotechnology and plant science fair project, you will simulate the competition between crop plants and weeds, and determine whether the use of an herbicide,…
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Genom_p020

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Time Required

Very Long (1+ months)

Prerequisites

None

Material Availability

Specialty items: Genetically modified seeds can be purchased online. See the Materials and Equipment list for details.

Cost

Average ($50 - $100)

Safety

Wear disposable gloves when handling the weed killer and work in a well-ventilated area. Adult supervision is recommended.

Did you know that apple trees do not "breed true"? This means that if you plant seeds from an apple, say a Granny Smith, you will get apple trees, but they will make apples that are actually different than Granny Smiths. So how do farmers produce new Granny Smith trees? They use a method called vegetative propagation. For instance, they may cut a branch off of a tree that grows Granny Smith apples and attach the branch onto a different tree trunk. This method of making new trees is called…
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You can find this page online at: http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/search.shtml?v=solt&pi=PlantBio_p012

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